K's Drop Final Match Before Break

Kalamazoo, MI –  In a divisional clash, the Kalamazoo Wings (17-19-3-1)  scored three goals in the opening 20 minutes to defeat the Fort Wayne Komets (22-19-1-1) 3-2 during the 5th Annual McDonald’s Golden Ice Game, presented by WNWN.

Getting on the board quick, John Negrin (2nd) utilized a screen and fired a slap shot past Marco Cousineau 2:17 into the contest. The goal by Negrin was the quickest to start a game by Kalamazoo, the previous high was also against the Komets (2:36) on November 3rd at Wings Stadium.

With a man-advantage, St. Anselm College alum and 15-year pro, Sam Ftorek notched his fourth goal of the season, all of which coming on the power-play, midway in the stanza.

Another St. Anselm graduate, Nick Wheeler (1st) would get a power-play goal of his own two and half minutes later to cut the K-Wings lead in half 11:32 into the period.

Just 27 seconds later, Kalamazoo’s Aaron Clarke made it 2-for-2 on the power-play for the K-Wings swatting an Elgin Reid slap shot that bounced off the pipe into the net for his team-leading 14th goal of the campaign.

Fort Wayne worked the game to 3-2 scoring late in the period, when John Dunbar (2nd), who was in the right corner, snuck the puck between the post and Joel Martin with 54 seconds remaining in the period.

Clarke (1 goal, 2 assists) and Reid (3 assists) each had three points in the period, while Ftorek chimed in with two points (1 goal, 1 assist) for Kalamazoo.,

After combining for five goals in the first period, neither the K-Wings nor the Komets registered a goal on the scoreboard in the final 40 minutes.

Martin (15-16-3-1), who finished the game with 39 saves, has stopped 85 shots in his last two home games.